Adder in the Path

By William JensenE-book available hereKindle version ($2.99) available here

Beautifully written and unflinchingly honest, Adder in the Path is a tragic chronicle of the Mormon War, and two very different families caught up in a maelstrom of intolerance and violence. It is a tale that teaches the fragility of human connection and the destruction caused by fanaticism and hypocrisy--crucial lessons that resonate long after the last word.

Paperback5.5" x 8.5"ISBN: 978-0-9849588-1-8

About the AuthorWilliam Jensen grew up on a farm in the very heart of Mormon country. He received a master's degree in history from Utah State university and pursued graduate work at Kansas State University. At Kansas State he developed an interest in Mormon history and wrote a short history and analysis of the Mormon War in Missouri. Adder in the Path grew out of that article. William has two sons, Christopher and Eric, and lives in Logan, Utah with his wife Sylvia and their dogs, Mollie and Belle. For more information about the author, visit www.adderinthepath.net.

Praise for Adder in the Path"The author portrays such individuals important in the early years of the Church, like Joseph Smith, Sydney Rigdon, and particularly Orrin Porter Rockwell, quite clearly...The historical context of the Mormon conflict is also well done." ~Candy Moulton, Editor of Roundup Magazine.

“William Jensen engages us with some of the most extreme elements of behavior. He carefully credits several fictional characters that interact with historical figures in a way that develops the interest, sympathy and repulsion of the reader. Real and imaginary events push the complex story into an exciting and gripping conclusion. The reader is immersed in a dramatic and controversial historical period that few authors would attempt to portray.” ~ Blythe Ahlstrom, professor of history and former provost, Utah State University

“Bill Jensen's rousing tale of the early years of the church is a good read.” ~ Thad Box, columnist“William R. Jensen’s Adder in the Path is an accessible, often inviting introduction to the 1838 Mormon War, a bitter chapter in Missouri history. Wrapping much of the dry historical record in fiction, Jensen tells the story of two families—one newly arrived Mormons, one original ‘gentile’ settlers—caught up in the violence. What makes it all work is good storytelling and the author’s use of the key figures of the time, including the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith.Through colorful dialogue, imagery and faithfulness to surviving historical fact, Jensen makes it easy for reader to imagine a tragic time that documents alone can never recreate.” ~ David Knopf, Richmond News, Richmond, Missouri

“William Jensen spins a fascinating tale… Intolerance by both the Mormons and the Missourians results in murder, intrigue, heartbreak and even suicide.” ~ Bruce Smith, publisher, Herald Journal, Logan, Utah

Mr. Jensen is a natural novelist...My rating is five stars plus. ~Stanford O. Cazier, retired educator and President of Utah State University. "Hostility to the beliefs of others only fans the vehemence of the defenders. Adder in the Path is a novel of the Mormon War of the nineteenth century as William Jensen tells a story of faith and the early days of the Mormon church and their struggles in those days for their own freedom. Drawing on history from a pro-Mormon perspective, Adder in the Path is a choice and very much recommended read." ~Midwest Book Review.

A Rich Portrayal of Humanity and History A five star review by Shawn Fisher, via Amazon "Jensen has managed to weave a richly complex story about a multifarious and little known piece of American history, the Mormon Wars. The true historical events portrayed in the book, around which the fictional characters face personal, cultural, religious and violent conflict, may be interpreted to be the result of any of several factions trying to establish dominance and a desired society at the time. Depending on one's perspective, the Mormons, Missourians or Native Americans might be perceived as innocent victims or threatening aggressors. What Jensen manages to do so well is peel away the layers of history, political and social correctness and institutional influences (such as the preferences of the Mormon Church in which he was raised before his beliefs evolved into something more personal and intuitive.) His characters are not simply stock figures reflecting the most obvious representation of Mormons, Protestants, Native Americans and so forth, but rather they are complex entities who must struggle to sort out the bombardment of moral and social influences that abounded at the time.

The book is meticulously researched and the events are portrayed with the specificity of a documentarian who was perhaps imbedded into the so-called war and society itself. Each main character is skillfully written as both sympathetic and flawed allowing the reader to get caught in the inexplicable social quagmire represented in the book. It is full of hard working and (sometimes) harder drinking homesteaders who consider themselves the rightful residents of Missouri and square off against the newly arrived religious fundamentalists looking to form an impossibly perfect society, while the indigenous people are forced to succumb to both of these invading factions. Amongst it all, Jensen manages to provide moments of great humanity and humility, simple emotion and even the love for and loyalty of a faithful dog. Adder in the Path is a fine novel that is easy to read, historically enlightening and rooted in the deep emotional history that, to this day, influences the Mormon culture and (in their words) the "Gentiles" who, 180 years later, are still leery of the tightly managed and close-knit Mormon institution."

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